Construction and Performance of Pervious Concrete Overlay at Minnesota Road Research Project

Portland cement pervious concrete (PCPC) has shown great potential to reduce roadway noise, improve splash and spray, and improve friction as a surface wearing course. A study is under way at Iowa State University and the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center to develop mix designs and procedures for PCPC overlays for highway applications. A report is produced on the construction and performance of a PCPC overlay constructed at the Minnesota Road Research Project low-volume roadway test facility to determine the effectiveness of pervious concrete as an overlay. Issues related to construction of the overlay are described, as are results of field tests to characterize the condition of the pavement 7 months following construction, to determine flow characteristics of the overlay, and to characterize the tire–pavement noise of the overlay. Results of these studies show that effective PCPC overlays can be designed for wearing course applications.